[MLS PREDICTIONS] Former Crew coach Sigi Schmid leads the Sounders against Columbus in a match to be presented on Fox Soccer Channel (Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET), and is just one of five interconference tussles to be played on Weekend 11. Chicago (21 points) has widened its Eastern Conference lead and hosts Dallas Sunday on TeleFutura (3 p.m. ET), Kansas City travels to Los Angeles, Toronto is in Houston, and cellar-dweller New York winds up a four-game homestand against Colorado. The all-Western Conference matchup is in San Jose, where the last-place Quakes take on RSL, whose own playoff quest has stalled. This weekend's Eastern showdown is at Gillette Stadium, where the Revs host a D.C. United team it led at RFK last month until a miraculous header by Ben Olsen in stoppage time pulled out a 1-1 tie. Soccer America's Ridge Mahoney breaks down all the weekend action.

(All times ET/home teams listed first)

SATURDAY NEW YORK (2-6-3) vs. COLORADO (3-2-4) 7:30 p.m. ET, Direct Kick The last-place Red Bulls should be desperate for a victory. Will that be enough? The Omar Cummings-Conor Casey tandem (eight goals, five assists combined) upfront, the tenacious play of Pablo Mastroeni, and the reflexes of keeper Matt Pickens give the Rapids another excellent opportunity to grab at least a point on the road.Prediction: Red Bulls 1, Rapids 1.

NEW ENGLAND (2-3-4) vs. D.C. UNITED (3-1-7), 7:30 p.m., ET, Direct Kick This is only the fourth home game of the season for the Revs and though they are still banged up, they have the weapons to unlock the D.C. defense at least once, which might be enough, assuming they can get some impetus from the flanks. United has lost only once in five road trips this year but is missing its midfield bulldog, Ben Olsen. Prediction: Revs 1, United 0.

HOUSTON (4-2-3) vs. TORONTO (4-3-4) 8:30 p.m., ET, Direct Kick Ex-Dynamo Dwayne De Rosario comes back to Houston in good form and is going to be handful for Houston's patchwork backline to contain, but Brian Ching and Kei Kamara are forming a nice partnership and the midfield is clicking as Stuart Holden, Brad Davis and Brian Mullan share the attacking burden once shouldered by DeRo. Prediction: Dynamo 3, TFC 1.

SEATTLE (4-2-4) vs. COLUMBUS (2-2-6), 10:30 p.m., ET, Fox Soccer Channel The loss of Brian Carroll to a shoulder injury in the 2-1 victory over San Jose further weakens the Crew, as it will also be without Frankie Hejduk (groin strain). Sounder players and fans will be sky-high against the defending champs, which extracted compensation for letting Coach Sigi Schmid opt of his contract and head west. Prediction: Sounders 3, Crew 2.

LOS ANGELES (1-1-8) vs. KANSAS CITY (4-4-3), 10:30 p.m., ET, Direct Kick The big field at Home Depot Center should suit the Wizards, and if Landon Donovan saves himself for next week's Hexagonal qualifiers, the Galaxy attack may sputter. But Eddie Lewis and Chris Klein and Gregg Berhalter will bring it, and that may be enough to scratch out a victory. Prediction: Galaxy 2, Wizards 1.

SAN JOSE (1-7-2) vs. REAL SALT LAKE (3-5-2), 10:30 ET, Direct Kick The Quakes must win but on their recent form they don't seem capable of beating anybody, so they might as well throw everything into attack, not because they're at home, but because their defense (21 goals in 10 games) has been atrocious. RSL ground out a goalless tie last week at D.C. to earn its first road point, and won at Buck Shaw last year, 3-2. Prediction: Quakes 2, RSL 2.

SUNDAY CHICAGO (5-0-6) vs. FC DALLAS (1-6-3), 3 p.m. ET, (TeleFutura) The Fire comes home after stunning Chivas USA with two late goals to win, 3-2, at HDC Thursday night, and plays a day game on less than three days rest. Though tired, it can still take the measure of FCD, which has tied its last two games, 1-1, at home, and has scored only three goals in six road games. Prediction: Fire 2, FCD 1.